Soundings “Men for Others, Delivering News to Others”

Spring and Summer Issue 2012

“Men for Others, Delivering News to Others”

Welcome

Ethan Doerger’13

Editor-in-Chief

Brandon Yep’13

Format Editor

Matt Kingsbury’13

Technology Editor

Tim Attolino’13

Sports Editor

Nicholas Martinez’13

Arts Editor

Will Coupe’13

Campus Life Editor

Anthony Sanfillipo’13

News Editor

Frank Bramble

Moderator

Dear Readers,

Final exams are approaching! The 2011-2012 academic year is rapidly coming to an end. The seniors have left and are graduating next weekend, and the underclassmen are nearing the finish line. What a year it has been not only for all Prep students, but also particularly for Soundings. This year, our number of readers has grown significantly due to a great number of alumni and parents that read. We thank our readers for sticking with us all year long. We have also changed our layout a number of times, to ensure the best presentation possible. I would like to thank Brandon Yep '13 and Matt Kingsbury '13 for continued work on layout. Soundings hopes to continue to prosper and gain more readers next year. We also would like to acknowledge Matt Craighead '12 for his efforts in the Entertainment section of the paper this year. Thanks Matt, and we hope you take your talents to college! Sadly, this will be my last editor's letter as I have opened up the editor-in-chief position to any fellow junior next year. I would like to thank everyone in Soundings for working with me all year long to make this paper possible, and I hope that whoever takes over will receive the same hard work and dedication. Many thanks for a great year, and have a safe and enjoyable summer! Ethan Doerger '13

So Long Seniors!

Matthew Craighead’12

AMDG

Campus Life Fairfield Prep 75 Years

Fairfield Prep, the school we have all come to know and love will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. In 1942, four years before the founding of the university, Rev. Maurice F. McAuliffe, bishop of Hartford Connecticut, allowed the establishment of a Jesuit high school in the area. The Jesuits found two adjoining estates with their respective mansions for sale in Fairfield, and saw it as their chance to build a prep school. The new prep school in Fairfield Connecticut was an instant success as qualified students, who seeked an education not found in public schools, started filling up spots.

But a school is not just defined by facts and dates. Traditions and fond memories of alumni give a school their certain personality and transform a place we learn to a place we love. Fairfield Prep is not just a place where we go to class, take exams, and graduate, but rather develop our bodies, minds and spirits. According to English teacher and head Football coach, Tom Shea, Every student of Prep has the special moment where they realize Prep is ‘their school.’ This event could be anything from a sports victory, to the Freshmen retreat, to even graduation

Mr. Shea’s moment of anagnorisis was during the first day of school at a mass. He said, “I saw the upperclassmen greeting each other and reconnecting with their buddies that they had not seen all summer. At that moment, I knew that I would instantly make friends and become part of the Fairfield Prep brotherhood.”

Mr. Shea also recounted other wonderful memories from his time at Prep, for example winning the last game of the Football season against Shelton, and also just talking to friends and teachers about current events. He stated, “Prep holds a very special place in my heart, and memories like winning the Shelton game and being with my classmates will never be erased from my mind.”

Since Prep is rooted with great tradition, as society has changed around us, the motto and mission of Prep has never faded, which is a very good thing. The rich tradition and brotherhood still live on today. Prep students tend to come together and support each other in both times of need and triumph. Since the bomb squad was created many years ago, Prep has been a place full of energy, cheering their teems through many state championships, but also the community came together in a special way to support each other this month with the tragic passing of junior, Bradley Helt.

Prep is truly a special place, and is deeply rooted in 75 years of rich tradition. As Mr. Shea said, “Prep is a special place to everyone who encounters it, but it touches us all in a unique way.”

By: George Calle’14

“Gentlemen, We have a new beetle!”- Mr. Cashman

Campus Life A Sophomore Retreat Reflection

The Sophomore Retreat was undoubtedly a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Students departed Prep at about 3 PM on Thursday, April 26th and came back home the afternoon of the 28th. It wasn't much time, but a lot was accomplished. They arrived at a convent in Litchfield around dusk. The sun may have been setting, but the fun and connection between the participants was on the rise. The actual retreat was kicked off with some icebreakers. The subsequent days were abundant with formal and informal discussion. Not only did students get to know each other, but also they truly got to know themselves. Meals were enjoyed 3 times per day. Each meal was preceded by an intimate prayer session. Religion was obviously a prominent theme throughout the retreat. Participants indulged on snacks they brought for themselves. Games were played, a movie was viewed, but I for one can say opening up to peers, leaders, and faculty was the most beneficial aspect of the retreat. The success of the retreat is owed to the benevolent Mr. Gualtiere. He's clearly an aficionado on all things related to retreats.. Always poised at the helm, he mediated our discussions and facilitated some quality activities. Other faculty members were marvelous as well. Mr. Hanrahan, Miss Leonardo, Miss Kaye, and Dr. Miller were all instrumental in creating a friendly environment. Personally, I was baffled by the superb work the junior leaders did. Matt Noone, Matt Rathelli, Andres Ramos, Matt Janny, and Mark Giannini spoke eloquently and honestly when they recited their speeches. Their intent was to incite discussion and thought among students and they did exactly that. After each speech by a junior leader, the room was full of emotion and ideas. The retreat was a cathartic experience for faculty, leaders, and students. It was a time to flee the stresses of everyday life and reflect. That convent was an asylum for companionship and honesty. It was the perfect place to mentally and spiritually explore the hardships and the blessings in life. By: John OConnell’14

Lets go Fairfield, Fairfield Lets Go!

Campus Life An Interview with Mr. Davis We see him everyday. He is stern. He imposes his will of scholarship, studiousness, and quietude on all of us. His name is Dean Davis. But what do we know about him? Not much. He is an enigmatic leader in the community so I decided to have a little conference with him to learn about one of Prep's noblest men. Jack O'Connell: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Mr. Davis: Born and grew up on the Island of Jamaica. Emigrated to the United States at the age of 14. I am the eldest of 3 children (2 Younger sisters). I went to Bassick HS from Sophomore to Senior year. Attended Fairfield University afterwards where I graduated with a B.S. in Biology, and minors in Psychology and Philosophy. I am currently married with 2 sons (5 and 3 years old). JO: Where'd you work before Prep? MD: Before Prep, I was the Assistant Director/ Project Manager of the CT Department of Higher Education’s State GEAR-UP Project for 11 years. It was federally funded program that service approximately 4000 high school students in Bridgeport and New Haven preparing them to go on to college via SAT Prep Workshops, College and career site visits, mentoring, tutoring, etc. JO: Tell us a little bit about your philosophy as head of the Academic Center. MD: “Be Quiet or Be Ousted” JO: What are the greatest challenges in your job? MD: Trying to walk the fine line of being friendly, yet respectful with the students, but not making them feel so comfortable where they believe that we are “Friends,” and they can thereby break the rules of keeping quiet and allowing their peers to get some work done while they are in the Center. 5. Tell me about the infamous sign. It’s there as a “friendly” reminder that you should be quiet in the Academic Center…or Face My Wrath!!!

Ad Majorem Dei Glorium

Campus Life An Interview with Mr. Davis (Continued) 6. What are your future plans for the Academic Center? To follow the mandates stipulated of Principal Perrotta and President Fr. Hanwell. 7. Are there any faculty members or students you've grown especially close to? I’m friendly with everyone… Really, who doesn’t like Mr. Davis,…who, who 8. What are some of the most common offenses you have to deal with? Students trying to sneak food in and eat it in the carrels; too much chatter especially on Monday mornings when you guys are first seeing each other after the weekend; students leaning back and forth in the chairs…they do break. 9. What does a student have to do if he wants you to kick him out? Be consistently loud, even after I’ve warned him to be quiet. Act disrespectful to me and or his peers (ex. Making hurtful/ demeaning comments to freshmen; Eating Lunch in the Center; Taking phone-calls in the Center; Or just generally looking at me the wrong way could get you kicked out (Just Kidding on that last one…) 10. How would you describe your style as head of the academic center? Relaxed, yet firm. 11. Has anybody helped you get acclimated to Prep? The entire community of Prep has done that, but Mr. Sarawit has been exemplary in that role. By: John OConnell’14

Per Fidem Ad Plenam Veritatem

Campus Life Reflection on the Freshman Year

The question that I’ve been asked the most as a freshman is, “Why did you decide to go to

Fairfield Prep?” After nine months of school I realize the answer I have been giving, “Because my dad

teachers here.” isn’t the entire truth anymore. When I first walked up the steps of Fairfield Prep I was

ready to turn around and walk fifty miles back home to West Hartford. The nerves and anxiety took

over my mind. I thought of all the things that could go wrong. What if I went to the wrong class?

What if I didn’t make any friends? I realized though, these are worries that everyone experiences

coming to a new school. But for me, this was the first time I had been to a school where I didn’t know

anyone. I remember the first class I walked into seemed to be the wrong one. Every desk was taken

and the kids there were absolutely huge! I said to myself, “There’s no way those kids are freshman.”

But now I sit in that English class everyday, and those faces are friends.

As notebooks were filled with ideas, sports seasons came and went, and syllabi were

completed, I found myself becoming part of Prep, part of the Prep brotherhood.

There were so many things to be involved in that I never had in middle school. There were an

amazing variety of clubs, events, and sports that I immediately immersed myself in. The more time I

spent doing these things, the more friends I made and the more I felt accepted. I made bonds with

students, coaches, and teachers and learned new things about myself through these interactions.

There was nothing better then loosening the tie, un-tucking the shirt and playing Frisbee in the quad

or walking over to Mike’s

By: C. Paul Cashman’15

Through Faith to the Fullness of Truth

Campus Life Senior Festivities 2012

The seniors just finished our last day of classes on Friday, May 18th. The academic year is over

and we are all relieved and happy that is summer and that most of us are going off to college next

year. We are most definitely going to miss this school. The thing is Fairfield Prep gave us more than

just a high school education. We learned how to become men for others and to become young adults

who are parents are proud of and cannot wait to see what we do with the rest of our lives.

This week is Senior Festivities starting with the Senior Barbecue where we can just hang out

with our classmates and have some burgers and hot dogs. This should be a pretty relaxing afternoon.

On Thursday is the Senior Trip to Six Flags Adventures. This should be a lot of fun but a bit of a long

bus ride. It is going to be a long day but an entertaining one. We have to be at Prep at 7 AM and will

not be getting back until 7 PM. So in that sense, there is lots of time to try all different types of

exhilarating rides while at Six Flags. And then to end the fantastic week, we have Senior Prom. Senior

Prom is at the Stamford Marriott and should be lots of fun depending on the DJ and what music he

plays. Hopefully it is a memorable night and a perfect way to end our Prep experience.

On Wednesday, May 30th, we have a formal graduation practice early in the morning and we

also rehearse the Baccalaureate Awards that day as well. Before we can even blink, these next two

weeks will be over and graduation day will be upon us. Graduation is on June 3rd at 10 AM. Rob

Salandra is the senior giving the speech, so that should be interesting to hear what he has to say. I

truly cannot believe how fast the past four years have gone. They have no doubt been the best four

years of my life. They were filled with fun times, academic challenges, athletic challenges, spiritual

endeavors, inner truths and much more. I really am going to miss this amazing place. God bless

Fairfield Prep!

By: Matthew Craighead’12

Politics

JUG- Justice Under God

Romney is close to locking up GOP nomination and wants to

“Restore American greatness”

With the delegates he received from the recent primary in Oregon, Romney inches closer to the required number of delegates required for nomination, and seems destined to represent the Republicans in their fight for the presidency against President Barrack Obama and the Democrats. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won most of the delegates in the Oregon primary, leaving him 155 delegates shy of the number of delegates needed to win the Republican nomination for president. He should get there by the end of the month. Romney won at least 16 of the 25 delegates at stake in Oregon, with six delegates undecided as the vote count dragged into Wednesday morning. Romney has a total of 989 convention delegates. It takes 1,144 delegates to win the GOP nomination. All of Romney's challengers have stopped campaigning. However, Texas Rep. Ron Paul won at least two delegates and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won at least one. Romney also won the Nebraska presidential primary but no delegates were at stake. Romney has all but clinched the nomination, and is well on his way to winning the 1,144 delegates needed to get the party nod.

The primary contest began in 2011 with a fairly wide field. Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, had been preparing to run for president ever since the 2008 election and the media narrative became: "Who will be the anti-Romney candidate?"Several candidates rose in the polls throughout the year. However, the field was down to four candidates by February 2012: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, former Governor Romney and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. It is the first presidential primary to be affected by a Supreme Court ruling that allowed unlimited fundraising for candidates through super PACs. As of a few days ago only Ron Paul remained with all other candidates withdrawing from the race and backing Romney.

Looking forward to the November election 2012, I foresee a very tight ballot. Obama I’m sure will still receive much support, as seen with his recent fundraising parties, but I also predict that Romney will also receive a lot of support, both from the conservatives and people that are on the fence on how the presidency of Obama has gone. I look forward to election, and wish that I was old enough to vote.

By: Anthony Sanfillipo’13

Xavier Hall, Berchmans Hall, Arrupe Hall

Arts

Electronic Dance Music has really come onto the scene in the past three or four years with artists like Avicii, Kaskade,

Tiesto, Nero, David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia. EDM is electronic music produced primarily for the purpose of a

nightclub setting and dance-based entertainment. DJs produce music by using machines such as synthesizers, drum

and bass machines and sequencers. They produce either continuous mixes where they segue smoothly into the next

track or they make one song and call it an original mix that is around four to eight minutes long. Nowadays, electronic

music concerts are becoming the most popular concerts.

Back in the 1960s, 70s and 80s rock and roll concerts would sell out at huge stadiums like Madison Square

Garden. Some of these bands are the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who. But now electronic DJs are basically

changing the typical concert experience. Most of our parents are used to having a band with singers, instruments and

crowd interaction. Now in our society, that concert experience does exist with rock bands such as U2 and Coldplay but

electronic concerts are really starting to take over. Usually the concerts feature the DJ or DJs and nothing else except

for their mixing equipment. The crowd is going crazy dancing and having a blast. They are also starting to pack

stadiums. Just a few months ago, a big name in the industry, Swedish House Mafia sold out at Madison Square

Garden. This was the first time, an electronic artist consisting of DJs have headlined at such a career-changing and

world-renowned place such as MSG.

So, EDM is definitely making a name for itself in popular culture. Is this the new way to experience a concert?

Will adults agree with this new change? We can only wait and see what happens. A quote that comes in mind is,

“Change is good for society.” I think we need to embrace the change but also while we can try to go see as many rock

and roll concerts as we can before this new type of concert totally takes over because it is bound to happen in the

near future. To end, I would like to suggest some great DJs to check out if you have not already starting with Dirty

South, Wolfgang Gartner, Steve Aoki, Eric Prydz, Calvin Harris, Hardwell, Afrojack and this awesome new guy Archie.

These are some of my favorite DJs other than those huge names that everybody knows.

By: Matthew Craighead’12

Prep’s Players

Arts The Dictator Movie Review

The Dictator is a comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen. It

takes place in the fictional Middle Eastern nation of

Wadiya and New York City, USA. The plot is that the

dictator of Wadiya is a useless, but unfair ruler. His

corruptness inspires him to go to New York City where

he attempts to protest democracy, but then gets

kidnapped. His appearance is modified so nobody would

know who he is, and nobody would ever recognize him

as the dictator of Wadiya. Since Aladeen, the dictator,

has a double just in case of attempted assassinations,

the double is asked to sign a constitution of which states

that Wadiya would become a democracy. The plot

continues from there in a hilarious, governmental

parody. Cohen is almost as good as he was in his highly

acclaimed performance in Borat. In addition to critics

enjoying this film, opening night viewers were also

pleased, as there was nonstop laughter from start to

finish, literally. If it keeps up, 2012 could have just seen

its best comedy!

By: Brent Kaiserman’14

Dean Davis Center for Higher Learning

Technology

App of the month: Logo Quiz

This month’s app is the Logo Quiz app. It is a rather simple

app that presents multiple logos without their names on

them for the user to guess at. You are given three hints per

logo, which can be earned by getting logos correct. To

proceed to the next level the user must correctly identify

the required amount of logos from the previous level. The

app can keep anyone entertained for hours trying to figure

out the next logo you come upon. This is one of my favorite

apps because it is so simple and gives you so much fun out

of it.

By: Matt Kingsbury’ 13

Go FP!

Sports Upperclassmen Spearhead Jesuits Tennis

The tennis team has long been one of the most successful squads at Fairfield Prep, as they’ve

captured SCC titles 3 of the past 4 years and are second only to hockey with nearly a dozen state

championships. Yet this year, the perennial dominance of the Jesuits was in doubt amidst a sea of

changes. Tom Curran, head coach for the last two years, was replaced by newcomer Harold Prather. In

addition, three of Prep’s top four players did not return to the school, leaving the 2012 season in doubt.

However, the Prep upperclassmen made certain that the tennis team would continue their run of

excellence. Led by co-captains #1 singles player Wes Craft (’12) and #2 Kevin Culligan (’13), Prep made

the always-difficult transition to a new coach look easy. 6 of the 7 starting spots were manned by seniors

and juniors, with sophomore Matt McKinney being the lone starting underclassmen at #5 singles. Prather

proved to be an excellent coach, as he established strong connections with the players while imparting

his extensive knowledge of the game. “Coach is great,” said Culligan. “I love how he’s very laidback and

lets us do our thing, but he also talks to us a lot and makes sure we know when we’re doing something

wrong.” Culligan and Craft received SCC All-League honors, leading the Jesuits to a 10-6 season and

the #4 seed in the SCC Tournament, where they fully expect to bring home their 4th title in 5 years. “We

feel like we match up very well with Amity, Cheshire, and Hand (the top 3 seeds). We’re just catching our

groove now and anything short of a conference title would be a disappointment,” said Culligan.

Prep also expects to contend seriously in the Class LL state tournament, where they finished 4th

last year. #3 singles Tyler Smith (’12) and #4 singles Scott Ball (’13) will team up at doubles, and the #1

doubles team of John Boehringer (’12) and Shane Sutera (’13) will hope to carry over the success of their

one-loss season to the postseason. And while the team may be dominated by upperclassmen this year,

the future is bright, as freshmen such as Will Cannon and Gator Osborne have shown considerable

promise. Prather’s steady coaching hand should remain at Prep for the foreseeable future, which will

help develop the abundant young talent on the team. Prep tennis is once again proving why they deserve

to be called one of the best teams in the school and state, and they’re not done yet. The SCC

Tournament begins May 23, and the Class LL state tournament will begin the week of May 28. Expect

some new hardware to be added to Prep’s already loaded trophy case.

By: Tim Attolino’ 13

Let’s Go Prep!

Sports

#2 doubles player Austin Hughes (’12) has teamed up with Charlie Dodge (’13) to have a great time

while rolling over the competition

Prep Tennis

Last Friday, the Fairfield Prep Tennis team took on Cheshire, a worthy adversary. Both teams played a well-fought and entertaining set of matches, but our Fairfield Prep Jesuits came out on top in a 4-3 victory. This was a much needed home win for the boys and hopefully the start of a good run.

By: Tim Kiernan’ 14

Prep Lacrosse

Last week, the Lacrosse team took on one of their biggest challenges yet, St. Anthony’s of New Jersey. After defeating rival, Chaminade, a few weeks ago Prep was in a good position to compete. However, in the end, St. Anthony’s was too much to handle. Our Jesuits suffered a loss by a mere two goals to one of the most talented teams around. Although they lost, Prep played a great game and will hopefully start the state Tournament with a bang.

By: Tim Kiernan’14

Go Fairfield Prep!

Sports Prep Lacrosse Ready for Another State Championship The Fairfield Prep lacrosse team has proved time and time again they have one of the top lacrosse programs in the Northeast, having gone to the CIAC Division L state championship game 6 years running. The team finished with a 12-3 record, only losing once in the state of Connecticut and receiving the #1 seed in the SCC Tournament (which they ended up winning). They also received the #5 seed in the state playoffs, earning a rematch with perennial power Greenwich in the first round. The team has been led all year long by goal scorers and their goalie. Juniors Kevin Brown and Tim Edmonds were the notorious goal scorers, while sophomore Austin Sims chipped in as well. Goalie Michael Seelye, however, has been the real story, holding opponents under 10 goals in 10 of 15 games, and even throwing a shutout. He was undefeated against SCC opponents and made many critical saves in games against top out of state opponents this season. Against Chaminade, Seelye made outstanding save after outstanding save in the stunning victory for the Jesuits. He did the same against perennial Long Island power St. Anthony's, despite a 13-11 loss. As always, Prep's main competition in states will likely come from Ridgefield, the team that defeated Prep in an 11-10 classic in the state championship last season. Ridgefield is coming off losing in the FCIAC final 11-9 to New Canaan, but with the #3 seed in the state tournament, they will be looking for back-to-back state championships. Lets hope the Jesuits can stop that run and earn their first state championship in three years. By: Ethan Doerger’13

AMDG

Sports Prep Baseball Looks to Make Some Noise in States

Despite a 10-10 regular season record and drawing defending state

champion Newington in the first round of the state playoffs, the Prep varsity baseball team feels they're being underrated. The team had a brutal

schedule with the likes of SCC Champion Shelton, Branford, Xavier, and Notre Dame-West Haven, all top 20 state teams. Prep competed with each of these teams, suffering tight losses to Xavier and Shelton, even defeating

Notre Dame in a 5-3 thriller at Alumni Diamond in early May.

The team has been led all year by their starting rotation. Ben Sullivan '12 and Austin Bonadio '12 were starters in the beginning, but Brett Young '12

emerged as another top thrower, finishing with a 4-2 record. It helped that a strong defense was behind them, anchored by a young right side of the

infield with second baseman Dean Lockery '14 and first baseman Shaun Blake '14. In the outfield, seniors Mike Smeriglio and Ryan Wright along with

sophomore Matt Brophy were magnets for fly balls all season long. On offense, the Prep bats relied on speed and small ball, two staples of a team

coached by Rudy Mauritz. Bunting for hits, stealing bases, and getting a clutch hit here and there is Prep's style of baseball. Wright and Smeriglio

stole the most bases all season, but Coach Mauritz would make anyone run, including pitchers. The clutch hits came from anyone at any time, but the

underclassmen showed they had a knack for stepping up at a critical time. In a tight game against SCC rival Sheehan, for example, Blake hit a 2-run home run and Prep ended up winning 2-0. In a critical showdown with Lyman Hall, junior third baseman David Gerics hit a solo home run that broke the game

open.

Don't be as surprised as the state of Connecticut will be if Prep finds a way to shock Newington in the first round. This team can pitch, play defense,

and run down any team on a good day.

By: Ethan Doerger’13

Go Jesuits!

Sports Vare Breaks Connecticut State Record

The Prep track team has had a pretty successful season, and when Adam Vare’14 broke a Connecticut state record, it capped off yet another successful season for the Prep runners. Adam Vare broke the 800-meter record, which is approximately a half-mile run. Vare took the lead early, and never gave it up, and eventually wound up at the finish line with a new state record for himself. As a team, Prep is currently competing in the SCC tournament, and will eventually be going to the state tournament. At the tournament, Prep will certainly be one of the favorites going in, with their strong core of runners, javelin throwers, and their overall team as a whole.

By: Liam Mason’14

Prep Rugby

This weekend, members of the Fairfield Prep Rugby program

voyaged to New Jersey to compete in the Jersey Cup. Although the JV

and Freshmen team’s records haven’t been stellar, led by

Sophomores Cole Lewis and Jeffrey Zeleny, they brought home a third place trophy. Hopefully this victory spawns an end of the year

spurt for the teams.

By: Tim Kiernan’14

Soundings Newspaper Spring and Summer Issue 2012

Format by: Brandon Yep’13